7 Surprising Health Benefits of Sleep

Whenever we lack the time in the day to do what needs to be done, we tend to cut on sleep in order to manage everything. This has become an unfortunate practice of millions of people, who don’t really consider the long-term consequences that constant sleep deprivation can have.

The lack of sleep can be one of the causes for anything from sour mood to serious health problems later in life. Our bodies need rest as much as they need air, food, and water to function normally and when we consciously choose not to provide, we’re creating fertile ground for disease in all shapes and forms.

However, there are many more benefits of sleep that we’re vaguely aware of that actively shape our life. Here are 7 of them to think about next time you consider to cut your sleeping short.

1. Your Attention Span Improves

There’s no secret that our minds work better when we’ve slept well, and this especially goes for our attention span. Anyone who faces continual lack of sleep (so basically everyone) knows how difficult it is to concentrate, do the required work and still respect deadlines.

When our mind hasn’t had enough time to rest, it’s starts glitching and slowing down. That leads to understanding things slower, as well as not being able to solve problems as efficiently as you would if you were rested.

When you do get a good night’s sleep, your attention sharpens and you’re able to react faster in situations that need a quick response. The brain processes work much better when you’ve had 7 or more hours of sleep and if you don’t believe it, try doing the same thing when you’re rested and sleep deprived, and you’ll be amazed by the differences in the results.

2. Sleep Quality Affects Your Weight

One of the very first things any nutritionist worth their salt will tell you is that if you want to lose weight, you need to get plenty of sleep.

Like I mentioned, lack of sleep directly affects every aspect of your wellbeing, so if you’re trying to get leaner but still slack on how much you sleep, the results will not be satisfying. If you want to avoid self-sabotage when it comes to melting the body fat, getting plenty of sleep and at the approximately the same time is vital, along with your diet and physical activity. Besides, if your muscles are still tired from the workout you did couple of days ago, you can be sure they won’t be working as well, which means you will have to work much harder to get the desired results.

2. Immune System Is Stable

Rarely do we appreciate the power of our immune systems until its defenses are lowered and we come face to face with so many nasty viruses that lurk around. Seeing that your health depends on your immune system, it’s a wise decision to do all in your power to protect it, and sleeping well and enough is paramount.

Sleep deprivation weakens your whole body, which is one of the reasons you feel groggy and not able to concentrate, but one of the direct consequences of sleep deprivation is definitely lowered immune system, which is our first line of defense. When you prioritize sleep over any other responsibilities you might have, you give your immune system a solid chance to work for you, and that is highly necessary.

3. Sleeping Well Shows on Your Skin

When we’re tired, we tend to look older, with dark circles under our eyes and skin that dries out and becomes more wrinkled. You can take extra care about the skin on your face, but if you’re not sleeping enough, it will show the aftermath of tiredness.Not sleeping enough will also rush along the aging process and will leave you looking much older, and on top of everything, you’ll still look tired. The more time you spend denying yourself adequate sleep, the harder it will be to deal with the consequences.

The skin problems you might face could be anything from pigmentation issues to sagging, which is why it’s a much better solution to have a good shuteye frequently so that your skin could retain the much needed moisture.

4. Being Playful in Bed

No matter how strong your libido is, if you’re deadbeat tired, you can be sure that the magic in the bedroom will melt away.

Though it’s completely natural not to feel in the mood for bed Olympics all the time, if you never get enough sleep and exhaustion takes the best of you, you can be sure that both you and your partner will not be healthy. As frustration builds so will relationship issues and when you sprinkle some sleep deprivation over it, you’ve got a disaster waiting to happen.

It’s not a good idea to let your sex life suffer simply because you can’t make yourself go to bed at a reasonable hour, besides, and you can bet you’ll sleep a whole lot better after some vigorous games behind closed doors.

5. You Won’t Trip on a Perfectly Flat Surface

If you’re accident prone in general, you definitely don’t need sleep deprivation to make things even worse. So many people get seriously hurt every day simply because they weren’t paying enough attention to what is going on around them.

If you’re a driver, then dangers are even bigger, as you’re putting other people in peril as well. Not sleeping enough will cause you to feel constantly tired, fatigue can kick in and a second without focus is enough to cause an accident, which means that you’re not only responsible for your life, but for the lives of people around you, which is another important thought to bear in mind.

6. Life Quality Drastically Improves

You know how everything tends to look gloomier when you’re hungry? Well, that feeling quadruples when you add sleep deprivation into the equation.

When you sleep well, your motivation will be better, creativity will flow more freely and you’ll be able to see the world in a more positive light. The reason for this is simple – both your body and your mind function much better after a night of good sleep, so naturally everything looks much easier, much more solvable and just more optimistic in general.

About the AuthorTheresa Brawner

Theresa Brawner is a 28-year- old fitness instructor from Boston, MA, who writes articles for www.diet.st in her free time. When she isn’t helping new moms get back in shape, you can find her in the kitchen, working on new recipes.